Diablo IV Endgame Will Revolve Around Seasons, No Pay-to-win Microtransactions
Blizzard has published the latest Diablo IV quarterly update, which talks about what players can expect from the endgame along with how microtransactions will be implemented in the game.
Similar to Diablo II: Resurrected and Diablo III, this latest entry will see the return of seasons, 4 per year, which will require players to create a new character to experience the new seasonal features with other players. Should you choose to continue playing with characters from previous seasons, you can do so through the “Eternal Realm.”
According to Blizzard, this seasonal design will ensure that character power is gained from playing the game and not through pay-to-win mechanics. Players will get to enjoy the new features, challenges, mysteries, and possibilities that a new season will bring, even the emergence of live events and constant updates and improvements.
With seasons come limited-time rewards and the return of the Season Journey, which is a free progression mechanic that will reward players with items as they complete Season Journey objectives.
This, of course, leads to the biggest question of them all – will Diablo IV feature microtransactions despite being a full-priced game?
The short answer is yes. Diablo IV will feature a Season Pass with two tiers – Free and Premium – which lets players acquire a variety of rewards just by playing. Blizzard is making it clear that the cosmetics gained from the season pass will not affect gameplay, despite some cosmetic types being exclusive to the season pass.
The season pass will also award a premium currency, which can be used to purchase cosmetics offered from the in-game shop.
One thing that the season pass will reward players with items called Season Boosts, which accelerate the progress of players throughout the season. These items will be free rewards for all players and cannot be obtained through purchases with real money.
Lastly, Diablo IV will also feature an in-game shop, and Blizzard is making sure that the shop will offer items that will make the players feel good about their purchase. Here are some things that players can expect from the shop:
- The shop will sell cosmetics that can be purchased using premium currency, but these cosmetics won’t give any direct or indirect gameplay advantage and have no in-game stats.
- The shop is completely optional, and no player will need to purchase anything to enjoy the core and seasonal gameplay features.
- The shop will feature a preview functionality so players can see exactly what they are purchasing.
- The shop will feature a lot of cosmetics, but the best-looking ones are not exclusive to the shop and can be found in-game as well.
- Armor Transmogs from the shop are usable on all characters of the same class.
Diablo IV is scheduled to launch in 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.